Public Services Information Management

1. Public Services Information Management 3. Information systems

2. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems An information system is… ‘records of data utilised to monitor, organise and plan organisational activities’ ‘providing information to support the operations,management and decision-making functions of an organisation’Davis and Olsen(1985) Management Information Systems

3. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems In an information centre, you would gather routine data about activities in order to… • Monitor • Control • Organise • Plan • Predict • …….. • ………

4. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Assuming NO (or minimal) ICT, how would we… • Record Events ………………………………… • Compile reports ………………………………… • At what intervals ……………………………….. • Convey back to users ………………………….. • Reformulate strategy ……………………………

5. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Now assuming evolving uses of IT, how do we.. • Record Events ………………………………… • Compile reports ………………………………… • At what intervals ……………………………….. • Convey back to users ………………………….. • Reformulate strategy ……………………………

6. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Uses (beneficial) of an information system… • Provide feedback • Monitor budget and/or resources • Review activities • Plan ahead • ……………… • ………………

7. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Abuses (or malfunctions) of an information system… • The measure becomes the reality (NB displacement of goals case study of employment clerks in Blau,Peter: The Dynamics of Bureaucracy) • Complexities and subtleties not measured • No feed back is provided

8. Public Services Information Management 3: Information systems http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~samho/tqmex/deming.htm

9. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Systems thinking: - Simple system= input  conversion  output - More complex (and systematic) input  conversion  output   Monitor  Adjust

10. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems More complex point... Is there ‘really’ a system Or is ‘system’ a model that we have in our heads to ‘model’ what we see out there { Checkland calls the latter a ‘holon’ }

11. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Public Service Information: Words need to be: • clear • unambiguous • not context bound (in Leicester, send someone toBelvoir Street or to Kirby Beauchamp)

12. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Public Service Information: Look at the Plain English website: http://www.plainenglishonline.com/

13. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Also think carefully about... • Abbreviations (Can you send the QAA SED document to BCOT PDQ) • Do not make assumptions (HCC?) • Audience

14. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Fonts and Typography...most are inappropriate! Exit Exit ExitExit ExitExit

15. Public Services Information Management3. Information systems Symbols.. http://www.bris.ac.uk/imagelib/ts.html http://www.bris.ac.uk/imagelib/i.html